


Unconditionally

by APhantomAndHerPen



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, But also not, F/M, Ghost Julie Molina, Good Parent Ray Molina, I swear, Julie Molina is a Queen, M/M, Major Character Death is Only There for Safety, Major Character Undeath, Not too Heavy on the Angst but Enough That I Thought to Tag It, Protective Alex (Julie and The Phantoms), Protective Julie Molina, Protective Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), Protective Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Ray Molina and His Ghost Sons, She's Kind of a Ghost, There's Humor in the Angst, This Fandom Needs More Julie & Willie So I'm Writing It, Willie is a Ray of Sunshine
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:47:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27931741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/APhantomAndHerPen/pseuds/APhantomAndHerPen
Summary: Since being saved by Julie after the Orpheum show, the boys had been clinging to her side. She could touch them, but the boys had been extremely reserved with their affections despite being next to her more often than they weren't. When the boys decide to take a trip so that Julie has a break from their constant presence, they unknowingly give Caleb the perfect opportunity to swoop in and strike.Except, his way of getting at the boys this time is through Julie.Alternatively: Caleb's a sore loser, Julie experiences being a ghost, Willie's the only one that can see her, and Ray adopts four ghost boys in need of a family.
Relationships: Alex & Carlos Molina & Julie Molina & Ray Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie, Alex Mercer/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina & Willie, Julie Molina/Luke Patterson, Ray Molina & Reggie
Comments: 52
Kudos: 266





	1. Julie

**Author's Note:**

> I've never actually posted anything to AO3, so we're just going to hope this works out efficiently. I'm currently trying to get myself back into creative writing for my classes next year (and using it as an outlet for my stress) so here's this fic. It's going to hopefully explore character backgrounds and relationships while scooping on the angst, humor, and fluff. 
> 
> I haven't sat down and written anything longer than 1000 word oneshots in a long time, so I'm definitely rusty, but... I guess we'll see how this goes. Hope whoever's reading this, you enjoy it. Chapters are named for the character's perspective (at least currently) so everytime you see a break, it's going to be a time break and not a character jump. I also don't edit my work the world's greatest right now since I'm just trying to get it typed and done, so just glance by any mistakes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! This is the rewritten chapter one. If you're new, you're in luck. If you're an old reader, you'll find that some things have changed. Not too much, though. 
> 
> If you're new, thanks for giving this a chance! It's a WIP, so do note that it's not really edited much. There WILL be mistakes every now and then, especially after chapter five. Hope you enjoy!

“Julie, darling, how _lovely_ to meet you in person.” Interrupting the silence and disrupting the air directly next to Julie’s ear, the voice, unfamiliar but all too familiar in the same sense, had her skin crawling and her body jerking away from the purred sound. She’d never met Caleb, but somehow she knew the slimy, almost vintage lull to the male voice was him. Some sickening, rotten feeling curling like the most vicious of poisons through her gut told her this was him.

She’d originally went down to the beach to think. Normally she’d have gone to the studio, but the guys had stumbled into her room Sunday morning to tell her – not ask her – that they were going on an adventure to some of the places across the country they’d always wanted to visit. It was Alex’s birthday next week – July 19th, tell your friends – so they really wanted to treat him to something after everything that had went down. That, and they wanted to give Luke an extremely late birthday present, too, and _that_ little detail had practically _forced_ Julie to let them go.

She still felt guilty about breaking Luke’s boundaries and watching him through the window on his birthday, so despite how she felt about them going, she just couldn’t bring herself to tell them how worried she was.

After all, it had only been a month since the Orpheum show. They hadn’t heard from Caleb since, but the boys had been practically clinging to her side, and she hadn’t complained about it. She took comfort in having them close and in her sight after the night of their big performance. Seeing their dying – again – selves on the floor of her mother’s studio had been too much, and she felt like she was constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop.

While she was able to touch the boys now, they didn’t readily give her the same affection they did each other. It bothered her, if she was honest with herself. She definitely got her share of hugs, but it wasn’t like Luke casually threw his arm around her shoulders or nudged her playfully. It wasn’t like Reggie came to her to cuddle up with when he couldn’t sleep or was having a bad day. It wasn’t like Alex went out of his way to lean into her or lay his head on her thigh. They did those things with each other, not with her.

It made it really hard not to be jealous of her ghost band sometimes. She really did consider her phantoms to be family – Luke was a little different, but that was besides the point – and for them to be using their fancy ghost powers to travel the country without her… hurt a little bit.

She loved them to pieces and was grateful to have them, but it was hard not to notice the obvious divide between Julie and the Sunset Curve boys. She’d known them for only a short time while those boys had not only grown up together, but they’d died at each other’s sides.

So, feeling the guilt dredging back up, she’d told them they could go. They’d be gone until Wednesday night, giving them four days and three nights to do as much as they wanted. They left early Sunday morning, leaving Julie to her own devices. She didn’t even have Flynn to hang out with while they were gone, as her best friend was spending a few weeks with her extended family in Louisiana. She didn’t want to impose on family time, so she told Flynn to give her a call when she was settled in for her “me time.”

She’d moped about all of Sunday and Monday, dragging her feet through each class. She’d instinctively went to the studio when she got home, but the silence was too deafening. Reluctantly, she’d found herself going down to the beach to listen to the waves roll. It had been peaceful and quiet, and she’d let her eyes slip shut to bask in the warm sun. The tentatively nice shift to her mood had been instantly reversed the second Caleb’s slimy voice purred next to her.

Flinching back, she whirled and stood from the bench she’d been sitting on, taking a few faltering steps backward. Caleb merely offered her a grin.

This couldn’t possibly be Caleb’s form. Instead of the Gatsby-esque man the boys had described him as, Julie was eye to eye with a lithe, college-age girl. Her vibrant, aquamarine hair fell over her shoulders in twin French braids. The cold expression that took over her face looked unnatural, marring her pretty, cat-like features. Her heart panged with sorrow for the poor girl, hoping she was alright somewhere in there.

The sympathy was quickly drowned out by fear, and she took another step away from Caleb. “You’re as beautiful as the boys implied you were,” he complimented. His voice dripped with the false sweetness of a skilled show host, and it made alarm bells ring harder in her skull.

Julie eyed him warily, noting her surroundings. Water was to her back, and she wouldn’t get far racing along either stretch of beach. Her only option was to dart for the pavement, but Caleb was blocking her way. “What do you want, Caleb?” she spat, setting her jaw to keep from shaking. For a weekday afternoon, there was nobody around this particular part of the beach, and she had a sneaking suspicion that it was intentionally done. Dread seeped into her. If he could pull off something like that, what else was he capable of?

He chuckled, making the melodic sound of the girl’s voice hoarse and fake. “What don’t I want would be the superior question here, dear Julie.” His name on her lips had her shuddering and curling in on herself in disgust. Caleb continued as if she hadn’t reacted at all. “To answer the one you asked, though, I really just want you.”

“For what? To play at your weird ghost club? To be part of your house band like you wanted Luke, Reggie, and Alex to be?” Panic was starting to set in past the initial harsh fear. She was beginning to feel like a caged animal, her body tensed and feet ready to take her sprinting off if she needed to. There was nobody around to call out for, and she knew if she went for her phone, there was no time for her to make a call. It struck her full force that she was cornered. “I won’t do that.”

He tutted shortly, casually striding closer to her. “Maybe not now, you won’t. But you see, darling, you’re the reason why I don’t have those three additions. You’re somehow the reason those boys are semi-human again.” Shock must have crossed her features, because he gave a short laugh. “You don’t truly think I haven’t been keeping an eye on you all, do you? I’m not about to allow my star performers to slip away so easily.”

She didn’t have any time to try and escape because Caleb was suddenly in front of her, his hand clamping around her neck. He merely smirked at the gasp she gave, unyielding in his grip even as she struggled against him. A lithe girl like this shouldn’t have had this sort of strength, but the ghost possessing her certainly did. Her fingers clawed at his hand but it didn’t do her any good. She wasn’t getting enough air, panic lighting up all of her senses and drowning everything rational out. Julie’s eyes had gone wide, staring up at Caleb almost unseeingly as she struggled to get a sufficient breath.

 _I can’t die like this. I can’t leave the boys alone._ She dug her nails into Caleb’s skin as he lifted her off the ground. Kicking out, she fought to make contact with his legs or torso, but it was to no avail, and her vision was slowly starting to shrink and blur. _Carlos and Dad can’t lose another family member this soon. Flynn can’t lose me like this._

“I’ve decided that killing two birds with one stone is going to be the most beneficial approach,” Caleb told her, his drawl casual as if she wasn’t currently being strangled by his own hand. His eyes were on hers, gleaming with ice. “You’ve been a thorn in my side, but you’re very, _very_ talented. You also make disastrously perfect bait for our boys.”

Her body began to grow heavy. The fight was draining from her the more her breath escaped her. Even the panic, so loud inside her head, was starting to quiet. Tears started to slip heavy down her cheeks, acceptance curling through her gut. Caleb was going to kill her. This was where she died, and she couldn’t do anything to stop it.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to actually kill you,” Caleb soothed. Julie was barely conscious now, his words sounding murky. Her eyes slipped close. “I’m just going to hurt you. _A lot_.”

***

Julie now knew why the boys would sometimes look, for lack of a better word, haunted. Every so often, guilt would flood Luke’s features, and the boy would curl in on himself, eyes fixated on the ground. She didn’t know why he’d appear so overwhelmed with it, but only small, understanding touches from Alex or Reggie could get him out of it.

Alex had times when he didn’t stop moving. If he was sitting down, his leg would jump. If he was standing, his foot would create a beat on the floor or his fingers would tap on his arms. Either that, or if he had the space, he’d be wandering back and forth across the room. She’d caught him doing it once, and his eyes had been unseeing, gaze focused on absolutely nothing, like he was seeing things she wasn’t. A tight hug from Reggie had seemed to get him to stop and come back to the present.

Reggie himself was probably the one who held it together the best, but even he had his days, and they were bad. He normally had such control over his reactions, but when it couldn’t be contained, he was found rocking himself, eyes closed. He was borderline unresponsive those days, and when she managed to coax anything verbal, his voice sounded empty, distant, and more like a robot than the cheerful, bright Reggie she’d grown to see as a brother.

But now, she understood. Seeing your own body, motionless and pale and so, so _dead_ in front of you would do that to anyone.

“Don’t worry, darling, you’ll receive your body when you decide to work for me.” Caleb’s words jolted her out of her thoughts. He shot her a devious, triumphant look, features gleaming with pride. Julie’s not sure whether she’s pissed beyond belief or if she wanted to curl up and cry. Maybe a bit of both. She felt so void and hollow that any other emotion seemed out of her grasp.

Caleb had taken her back to his club. They were in some sort of side room, Julie’s body laid out on a bed, a sheen over her skin and the blotchy, red imprint of his hand on her neck. According to the ghost, her body was still functioning, just in a sort of statis that kept her soul from reconnecting to her physical form. It made her sick to her stomach seeing herself like that.

 _You wish to return to your brother and father, yes?_ He’d been smirking all the while, the expression sinister on his own features that time around. You have friends you want to see again. You want people to see you and hear you after spending so long without your passion. You’ll agree to be part of my house band eventually, and by the time you finally give in, our boys will follow you without a second thought.

“It took quite a bit of prep work to pull this little stunt off. I’m rather impressed with myself.” Caleb hummed, his eyes on her body on the bed. “It did take a few trials until I had a successful result.”

That made Julie’s blood run cold. He’d done this to more than just her. His need to get at her and her boys had caused other people to suffer. If her stomach wasn’t churning painfully before, it definitely was now.

He snapped his fingers, the sound making Julie flinch. At Caleb’s side, one of the resident ghosts, donning a nice suit and looking just as old fashioned as Caleb himself, appeared and gave a slight bow. “Do bring me William,” he commanded. “It’s extremely important.”

With a nod, the ghost was gone just as fast as he’d appeared. Anger spiked red hot through the haze of emptiness, and she shot Caleb a vehement glare. “Don’t you dare touch Willie,” she seethed. Her fingers balling into fists, she set her jaw. She had never met the ghost, but Alex had briefly mentioned him. He was important to him, so she wasn’t about to let Caleb hurt him.

The magician eyed her with a sneer. “You’re in no position to be making threats.” A knock resounded on his door and his bored, annoyed expression shifted back to smug pride. “Come in William!”

He leaned in towards Julie, who fought the urge to shrink away. “You’ll love dear William,” he assured her. “Your drummer – he’s very fond of him.”

Willie opened the door and hesitantly stepped inside. “You wanted to see me, Caleb? James said-“ He clamped his mouth shut when his eyes flicked to Julie, confusion coloring his features. “Who’s this?” His gaze landed lastly on Julie’s body on the bed, and she watched as the color drained from his skin.

Whatever Julie had anticipated Willie looking like, she hadn’t pictured this. He was a fair height and built, dark hair complimenting tanned skin as it fell down his back. His features were somehow angular but soft. The skater boy aesthetic he had was cute, and she immediately saw why Alex was so gone on him. Willie practically dripped with kindness at even just that first glance. He seemed a bit dorky and definitely more of an extrovert, a perfect contrast to her drummer.

Julie decided to save him from what looked like the beginnings of panic, his eyes shifting back and forth between Caleb and herself. “Hey, Willie,” she greeted awkwardly, giving a small wave. “It’s good to finally meet you, even if it is under bad circumstances. Alex talks about you sometimes.”

The words hit and his eyes went as wide as saucers. “Julie?” he squeaks. He looked almost as pale as a sheet now.

Caleb cleared his throat, clapping his hands together to get their attention. The quirk of his lips was just as fake as ever. “I don’t believe either of us would have ever seen this coming, but at the current standing, I need you… primarily free, let’s say.”

Willie physically jerked. “What?” He stared up at Caleb in surprise. “You’re actually letting me go?”

“Trust me, William, this is more of a punishment than anything else.” The chuckle he gave was devious and knowing, as if he was in on a joke they weren’t.

He motioned to Julie, and on the cue, Willie darted to her side. “No club stamp for you, Julie, darling. Can’t have you wanting here too fast, after all. You’ll be much more fun broken.” He waved a hand at them, and the scene changed.

The three of them stood outside of the giant mansion that was the Hollywood Ghost Club. Julie leaned into Willie, the gravity of the situation seeping into her and leaving her lip threatening to wobble. Caleb granted them both a falsely sorrowful glance. “It’s awful to see you both go. Truly, it is. But, you’ll both be crawling back to me soon enough.”

He seemed to remember something and focused in on Willie, who tensed. “Oh, and there’s a slight stipulation to your… freedom, but you’ll figure that out in time.” He grinned. “I do hope the two of you enjoy yourselves. It’ll make this all the sweeter for me.” His gaze fell his watch. “I have a show to prepare for, so I do believe this is goodbye for now.” In a silver warp, Caleb’s gone, leaving the two ghosts standing on the sidewalk by themselves.

Once he’s gone, Julie’s eyes can’t leave the hotel. Her body was somewhere in there, tucked into bed and kept alive by some sort of magic she didn’t understand. That was her body. She was, for all intents and purposes, dead. She can’t hear Willie calling her name worriedly, can’t process him shaking her gently to try and get her focus on him instead. Her form eventually sagged under her grief and she collapsed, landing on her knees. Then she’s sobbing, heavy heaves of her chest that have fat tears spilling down her cheeks and that doesn’t even make _sense,_ because she’s a _ghost_ , and she’s _dead,_ and she’s not supposed to need _air_ or be able to _cry_ , but-

“-ease focus on me. Julie, you’ve got to focus. You’ve got to breathe.” Willie’s voice steadily fought through the pain, slowly becoming clear. His own fear and worry echoed in his tone, and slowly, his face swam into view. She took a deep, shuddering breath, her eyes drifting up to lock onto his.

His lips twitched up in blatant relief. “There we go. Breathe with me, slow and even, okay? Match mine.” Willie took her hand and counted out loud until Julie was able to get to her feet and thank him.

“I, uh, don’t mean to send you into another crisis, but what happened?” he asked tentatively, keeping her hand in his to ensure she stayed grounded. She appreciated the gesture more than she cared to admit, and it struck her a second time why Alex loved him so much. With his anxiety, Willie must do wonders to keep him sane.

 _Alex_. “Alex is going to be so happy to see you,” she blurted instead of answering him. Willie was free now, and that meant her poor drummer could have him back without fear of Caleb hurting him. She clung to that bit of happiness, taking the distraction as it was presented. “He’s traveling across the country with the boys right now, but when he gets back, you two can-“

“Alex is going to be absolutely crushed that he wasn’t here and able to stop Caleb from doing this to you,” Willie interrupted. Feeling chastised, Julie ducked his gaze from the seriousness she found in his face. He dipped until he could get eye contact again. “If you don’t talk about it, I have no idea how to help you cope, and distractions aren’t going to fix everything.”

Shame washed over her. Dropping his hand, she rubbed her arm nervously. “Right. Sorry.” She worried her lip. “Caleb wouldn’t give me a lot of straight details, but he somehow separated me from my body after I passed out. I guess I woke up when he did it or something. My body’s alive, but he’s barred me from using it. I don’t really know.”

Julie’s voice was barely a whisper when she met his eyes solidly. “I’m really scared, Willie.”

His expression softened immediately. Enveloping her in a tight hug, he rubbed her back and held her up as she went limp against him. “Hey, hey, we’ll figure it out,” he assured her sweetly. “You beat Caleb once, so I have every faith that you’ll kick his ass a second time.” He pulled back, hands on her shoulders. “You’re Julie Molina. I know I don’t really know you yet, but from what Alex says – and he’s said a lot – you’re the most stubborn, badass girl on the planet.”

Her heart flooded with fondness for Alex. “He really talks about me like that?”

“All the time.” Willie laughed, nudging her. “He thinks the absolute world of you. You’re practically a goddess in his eyes.”

His words brought a small smile to her lips. It surprised her that Alex talked about her to Willie of all people, but it also made her feel warm inside. She felt the tips of her ears color and looked out across the strip of city they were in. “Can we maybe go somewhere?” she asked her companion softly, wringing her wrists. “I really don’t want to be standing in front of here after…” Her gaze flicked back up to the high walls of the Hollywood Ghost Club.

Willie appraised her and nodded. “Yeah,” he agreed understandingly. “I guess you probably should get a grasp on being a ghost before you go about tackling the bigger issues.” He gestures to her hand. “Need to keep holding onto me? I know Alex likes to for less platonic reasons, but he also uses the touch to keep himself grounded.”

She blinked, jaw slack with awe. Her fingers found Willie’s own as she remarked, “No wonder Alex is so head over heels for you.”

He blushed bright red, quickly averting his gaze. “It’s mutual,” he mumbled. He cleared his throat, composing himself with a shift of his weight. “Anyway, come on. I know the best places to start practicing.” Giving her fingers a reassuring squeeze and with a lopsided grin on his lips, the two of them vanish from the sidewalk.


	2. Willie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where the band isn't coming home for another couple of days and Julie isn't prepared enough to try and go see her brother and father, Willie teaches her about ghosting and gets to talk about his own death. It's weird having someone to talk to that he's not worried about impressing or isn't telling him to man up about dying. Even though he's just officially met Julie Molina, he's already adopting her in as his little sister, and he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to state that this is a writing exercise piece. I haven't really edited, and at the moment, I'm "dusting off twenty-five years of rust." The content will improve and the chapters will get longer as I go, and if this ends up finished, I'll definitely come back and polish it up so that it's a really nice, cohesive work. Thanks to those that are sticking with it. Enjoy!

When Willie woke up that morning, he hadn’t expected his day to take such a dramatic turn.

He’d started his day mourning the loss of Alex, as he’d started every single day since the Orpheum show. Relief had washed over him when he’d watched them vanish from the club that night, though it had been muddled with the realization that, while Alex and his bandmates had been spared from Caleb’s influence, they were freed because they’d crossed over. He’d been left behind.

Earlier that week, though, he’d caught the briefest glance of Alex and Reggie on the beach, looking healthier than they had the last time he’d seen them. His Hotdog had been bright and happy. They were gone in just a few moments, but it had been long enough for Willie to verify that it really was them. Unfortunately, that meant that Alex was still there but far out of his reach, and that was somehow so much worse than the thought of the drummer crossing over.

Because Willie wasn’t free, and Alex was. He wasn’t ever going to be anything other than a trapped ghost bound to Caleb.

Until he suddenly wasn’t under Caleb’s thumb anymore, and it was all thanks to the death (maybe?) of Alex’s beloved lifer and bandmate. This was royally screwed up.

“This sucks ass,” he voiced without thinking.

A snort came from beside him. “You’re telling me.” Julie had curled into a ball on the bench, tucked up against his left side with her knees scrunched towards her chest. They’re relaxing in one of Willie’s favorite parks for the time being, seated facing a little man-made brook. Her eyes were trained on the koi, watching them glide through the water without any sort of rush.

Her mutter had him flinching guiltily. “Sorry. I know this is a hard adjustment for you. I shouldn’t be saying anything that could possibly make you feel worse.”

She shook her head and Willie forced himself to look away from the red handprint decorating her throat. Sighing, Julie uncurled herself, her hands gripping the underside of the bench as she leaned forward. “No, you’re okay. It really does suck,” she agreed with a laugh. Instead of the melodious and bubbly sound Alex had described it as, this was hollow and empty.

“We’ll figure it out.” His hand found purchase on her shoulder. He kept his grip gentle but heavy enough that she could focus on it if she needed to. “You’re not dead. Not actually,” he tried. “That’s something.”

Julie glanced his way. Her eyes met his, and after a lapse of silence, she gave a slow nod. “Right. That’s… that’s something.” She worried her lip between his teeth, nervousness crawling across her face. “Could we maybe try that whole teleportation thing? I don’t want the boys making fun of me for not being able to “ghost” properly. And I definitely don’t want to lose my clothes like Reggie does every once in a while.”

Her voice held a tentative note of humor, as if she was trying her best to make light of the situation. Willie could see the gears turning in her head. She was actively forcing herself to find the positives, and it’s something he really should address, but for now, he held his tongue.

“Right,” he confirmed, standing from the bench. As he started to explain and demonstrate, he kept a close eye on her expression, not wanting to let her crumble any more than she already had.

Julie was a swift learner, and she picked it up fairly quickly. It impressed Willie that she never once got sick like Alex had confessed he had the first few times. Once she could do the small jumps, the big ones came easy, and she could do them with little thought. Willie himself had practiced for days getting to where she could in a mere handful of hours.

The thing that Julie couldn’t do, though, was move objects. She couldn’t actually interact with anything to move it. Sitting down on things worked fine, but she never actually made an intent or a wrinkle. Her fingers passed through anything she actively tried to move, though, no matter how much focus she put into her hands.

It dumbfounded him, but Julie continually insisted that it was a time thing and it would eventually come. Eventually, she wrote it off entirely, frustration coloring her features. “I don’t need to be able to interact with things right now,” she told him with a wave of her hand. Her face had grown hard and stiff, likely in an effort to keep the tears at bay.

He couldn’t help but find that expression so wrong on her. Her lip threatened to wobble, red seeping into her eyes as they welled up. “I can move around, and I’ve got someone to talk with. That’s something.” Her voice broke, her gaze casting itself downwards.

Willie’s eyes widened and he’s quick to tug Julie into his arms on instinct. The movement surprised him, but he didn’t move away. “Hey, hey, hey, it’s okay. You won’t even need it that long, remember?” he soothed awkwardly. He wasn’t sure what to do with his hands, so he settled for patting her back. Normally people crying had him itching to escape as fast as humanly possible, but something in him had him holding onto this girl as securely as he could. His heart ached for her. It was a weird feeling, being in pain with her, but somehow wasn’t unwelcome.

Julie sniffled, shaking in his arms. “You’re really good at big brother hugs,” she murmured into his chest. He could feel her fingers clasped in his shirt, her balled fists heavy against his back. Willie’s hand came up to hesitantly cradle her head. He really hadn’t had touch since he died, and since Julie and the Phantoms came into his afterlife, he’d had the absolute physical shock of being hugged by not just Alex before the Orpheum show, but now Julie herself. The more she relaxed into him, the more he found himself relaxing into her in return.

“Big brother hugs, huh?” He pulled back sheepishly. “I haven’t had many hugs over the years.”

The admission had sorrow flooding Julie’s face. “Really? Willie, I’m so sorry.” He watched her straighten her back, resolve settling into her. “Guess we’re just going to have to get you used to hugs again. I’m making that one of my missions now.”

Her expression suddenly softened, and she nudged her arm against his. “You deserve hugs. Alex hasn’t told me a whole lot about you, probably just because he hasn’t actually come out and we haven’t talked about the current sexuality standpoint, but he’s said enough for me to gather that he thinks the absolute world of you. I haven’t known him to be wrong about a person’s character, so if he trusts and adores you, I think I can do the same. Good guys deserve all the hugs they want.”

He laughed, chest warming. Willie had never had sibling relationships since his brothers and sister were all older than him. Was this what having a little sister was supposed to feel like? He wasn’t certain, and he decided not to ask yet. He’d only just officially met Julie, who’d just went through one hell of an experience and likely seeking out comfort where she could. “Sure,” he agreed, bemused. He left what she said about Alex alone, though the thought resounded in his head.

If – _when_ , he corrected himself giddily – he saw Alex again, he’d need to have a long discussion with him.

Willie looked around at the street lights beginning to turn on, noting the dimming sky. “How about we go find ourselves somewhere to go for the night? I’m sure you’re not wanting to go back to your house yet.”

The light expression Julie had held faded visibly. “Yeah, maybe I’m not ready for that grief right now. I know I’m not dead, but I’m still not there, you know? I’d rather not face what my dad and brother are feeling until I can be around without having a panic attack.” Following Willie, her gaze swung around, taking in the quieting park. “Where can we go?”

Relieved to be back in his element as tour guide extraordinaire, Willie shot her a grin. “There’s this place that caters partway to ghosts. We can get a room there for the night.”

Her lips fell into a slight, confused frown. “Ghosts sleep?”

“Yeah. Well, I guess we can,” he corrected. “We don’t need to by any means, but it’s something to pass the time when you have literal eternity.” He shrugged, motioning towards the sidewalk. Julie fell into step beside him as he started walking towards the exit.

People were still milling about here and there, but the numbers had definitely dropped since their arrival. Now, the crowd had changed to older teenagers and college kids out goofing off or enjoying date night. Willie was content to walk through them, hands in his pockets and not so much as flinching, but Julie actively tried to avoid them instead. Whenever she’d walk through someone, she’d yelp and shudder, looking pale for a few moments until she could shake off the feeling.

She eventually plastered herself to Willie’s side. Glancing at her, he chuckled lightly at her tensed posture. “It’s not too bad once you get used to it.”

“The guys said going through people tingled, but I guess it’s a whole other feeling experiencing it instead of just hearing about it.” She swallowed thickly. Mentioning her band had her dimming with grief again, and Willie found himself quickly launching into an explanation to keep her mind busy.

“Going through people feels so weird because you’re purely a soul. You’re on another plane, and when you pass through a lifer, you’re interacting with their soul on that same plane you’re on.” He stepped out of a woman’s way, if only to keep Julie from walking through her, too. “So you get this small jolt of who they are. Most of the time, it’s just a quick feeling of their intentions in life, whether they’re here to cause chaos or if they’re just good people trying to make it by. Once in a while, I’ve been able to feel their base desires.”

Julie’s nose scrunched. “Base desires?” she echoed.

He made a confirming noise. “Like if I passed through you, maybe since you’re a musician at heart, your base desire would be to perform some place or to sing a certain song to someone. That kind of thing.” Willie ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m not exactly the best at explaining. It’s more something you’ll have to feel.”

Quiet fell between them for a while. The silence left him to his own thoughts, passively watching Julie avoid people the entire way to the hotel. It amused him and brought a lazy grin to his lips. It had been years since he’d gotten to slow down and enjoy the little things, especially with company. He kept waiting for Caleb to drag him back or berate him, but here he was, ambling down the street without worry for that slimy magician watching him.

Now he just needed to get another board.

Willie pulled her through the door of the hotel, laughing at the squeak she gave. “Hey, Willie,” greeted Damian from the front desk. “Heard down the grapevine that you were running free. That true?”

He parted from Julie to cross to the desk, leaving Julie to look about the interior with wide eyes. “Yeah, man, it is.” He tapped excitedly on the counter. “I really should be questioning why, but who cares right now? I’m a free man! It’s been a decade since I’ve been able to walk around without looking over my shoulder.”

Damian laughed knowingly. “I’d be doing the same thing in your shoes. Need two rooms, then?” His gaze slipped from Willie to Julie, who’s looking at herself in the mirror. The angry marks of Caleb’s fingers hadn’t disappeared yet, and likely, this was the first time she was seeing them on her ghost self. He’d purposefully avoided mentioning them, wanting to give her time to process one development at a time.

He sighed, watching her fingers drift shakily over her skin. “Please. Adjoining ones, if there’s any tonight.”

“Recent death for her or something?”

“Or something.” Willie accepted the keys Damian offered him. “Thanks, man.” Bidding him a quick goodnight, he stepped away to gently grab Julie’s forearm.

She jerked at his touch and went to pull away before she noticed it was Willie. The haunted, far away look in her eyes had Willie’s heart panging. When her eyes met his, realization clearing them, she swallowed thickly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to…” She ducked her eyes from his, letting her sentence fall awkwardly.

“Don’t worry about it.” He extended a soft smile to her. “I should have warned you before you could catch a glimpse of yourself.” Willie looked at her in the mirror, gesturing to his own neck with his free hand. “The aftermath of your death will go away in a few days. Mine did.”

He dropped his hand from his arm and led her up to their rooms. “Here’s your key. These rooms are adjoined if you need me.” He shrugged. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted to be alone or not.”

The smile Julie gave him is so thankful and genuine that it startled him. The only person that had been this open with him was Alex, and even then, it was hard for him to handle. “Thank you for all of this. I don’t know where I’d be if I wasn’t able to have you here, so thank you. You could have just left me.” She shifted her weight from her left side to her right, fiddling with her own fingers.

Willie tilted his head downward sheepishly. “I couldn’t have left even if I’d wanted to. Alex would have killed me a second time, of course, but you’re also so nice. You haven’t done a single thing to deserve Caleb’s wrath.”

“Still.” She opened her door, glancing back at him. “Sleep well, Willie. See you in the morning?” Once he nodded his confirmation, she disappeared into the room.

He stood there for a minute, staring at the closed door. The entire day had been the weirdest turn of events. Already, this girl was growing on him. She’d been through too much shit for a span of 24 hours, but she was powering through with a resolve that Willie admired.

All of that awfulness, and she’d been trying to keep him happy, too. She was still promising him Alex as if he deserved her cherished drummer. Absolute hellfire had come her way, and she’d walked through it without a single scorch.

Julie Molina really was the powerhouse Alex told him she was.

Willie wondered if this awestruck feeling in his chest was what the boys felt when they’d first appeared in her studio. Moving away from her door to his own, he made a vow that she wasn’t about to get hurt again, not on his watch.

***

Most of the time, Willie was a hard and fast sleeper. Once his head hit the pillow and his eyes slid closed, he was gone until his body decided he should be awake. It was a blessing and a curse, really, but as a ghost, it allowed him to sleep away the nights. Otherwise, he’d have gone insane by now, boredom sinking into madness.

Tonight, though, he couldn’t seem to sleep. It was normally heavenly to curl up in the warm sheets and rest on the mountain of fluffy pillows, but even the comfort of the bed couldn’t shut down his mind. Willie tossed and turned, never comfortable in one spot for long. Annoyance flickered in him and he groaned, throwing himself into another position.

The adjoined door creaked open. Willie lifted his head to see Julie poking into the door, a blush brightening her cheeks when she noticed him awake. “I’m sorry,” she apologized nervously. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

“Nope.” He groaned, sitting up with his head against the headboard. “I can’t sleep for like the first time in my afterlife.” Raising an eyebrow at her still hovering form, he inquired, “Can’t sleep, either?”

Julie sighed and shook her head. “No.” Willie could see the cogs turning in her brain again. “Would you mind if I slept in here?” It was a quiet request, one he figured she thought he’d turn down.

Instead, he gave her a lopsided smile and patted the bed. “Come on over. With the day you’ve had, it doesn’t surprise me that being alone bothers you.”

She didn’t simply come crawl into bed next to him. She disappeared back into her own room momentarily, shuffling back in with one of the blankets wrapped around her body. With it tightly wound around her, she dumped herself into the space next to him, curling herself into him and burying herself down into the blanket further.

Willie didn’t question it, simply grateful for the magic in the hotel that allowed her to interact with the objects for once. He slipped an arm around her to keep her close. They’re silent for a while before he finally registered her speaking to him, asking him quietly, “How did you cope?”

His nose wrinkled. “With death?”

“Yeah.”

A second lapse of silence. Willie shifted, gathering his thoughts. He’d had a long time to come to terms with his death. He’d had long enough to process the notion that while everything and everyone around him changed, he stayed a static, unmoving blip. Even with all of that time and acceptance, hurt and regret still stirred itself back up sometimes.

“I learned the hard way why you shouldn’t skate in the street,” he finally murmured with a little, dry chuckle. A small smile tugged at his lips, remembering the look on Alex’s face when he’d told him the same thing. “Coping with seeing my body smashed by a truck wasn’t easy. I didn’t get to go without external marks like Alex, Luke, and Reggie, and I didn’t get an easily hidden one like yours is. Not to discredit those deaths by any means, it just makes it harder to pull yourself together when you have the physical reminder for a while.”

Willie took a breath, hesitating. “It took a while for my body to fill back out and reattach itself. The semi was going way, way too fast.”

Julie snuggled herself a little closer, and Willie’s overwhelmingly grateful for the comfort. These details were never something he’d shared about his passing, and it felt bittersweet to get it off his chest. “Somehow, I still really love skateboarding, even if it did ultimately kill me,” he added in an attempt to lighten the mood.

“For what it’s worth, I’m really sorry.” She shifted to peer up at him brown eyes tinged with blue from the sheen of tears. “How long ago?”

Alarmed by making her cry, he sighed dramatically. “Fifteen years. Kicked the bucket in 2005, two whole days before Fall Out Boy released _Under the Cork Tree_. Do you realize how depressing that is?”

His joke had the desired effect. Julie’s lips parted in a bright grin and she laughed, nudging him gently. “I’m sure you listened to it after, though. Got to live through the wonderous emo days, did you?”

“Damn right.” He winked, laughing with her.

Julie hummed softly, the sound amused and light. “Alright, so you’re a skater boy with an early emo taste in music. Iconic.”

As they talked about what it was like for Willie to be a teenager in the early two-thousands, he found himself relaxing in. His eyelids eventually started growing heavy. She yawned, and he took that as the cue that they were both ready for sleep. “Sleep, Ju-Ju,” he murmured. “I’ll be here whenever you wake up, alright? We can go do whatever the hell you want to do.”

If Julie noticed the nickname, she didn’t say anything. She merely snuggled down against him, making sure his blanket was tucked around him before allowing herself to still. With her warm, comforting presence, he’s quickly falling asleep. His dreams are blissful that night.


	3. Julie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last day before Luke, Reggie, and Alex get back. Willie gets a new board, Julie experiences the carnival rides, there's more Willie and Julie friend/sibling bonding, and an angsty cliffhanger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really hoping y'all knew what you were in for with this fic. I mean, I'm not planning on this being all angsty, but it's gonna have its moments. For the most part, this work focuses more on the boys dealing with their past, Julie learning more about her boys, the Molina family healing with the help of a ghost band, and WIllie getting the family and friends he deserves. 
> 
> Positive feedback is always welcome! Thanks for the few sweet comments I've gotten so far. Note that this chapter and the previous two have been altered as of 1/22/2021.

It’s Taco Tuesday, and I can’t even eat tacos now,” Julie pouted, staring longingly at the food truck they walked by. “That’s a tragedy.”

Willie snorted. “You have no idea. For the longest time, I’d drooled over lemon meringue pie every damn time I’d see one. I’ve honestly forgotten what it tastes like since Caleb never has any at the club.” His face contorted in disbelief, like it had so many times over the past two days. It was like he couldn’t wrap his head around the idea of being free.

For what was probably the fiftieth time that morning, she stared at him. Willie was taking everything in stride. Or, at the very least, he seemed to be. She’d only known him a short time, but from knowing Alex, too, she gathered that the ghost was internally combusting with all the new changes. The awestruck expression he had testified to that.

“Lemon meringue is one of the superior pies,” she agreed, her hands in her pockets.

“Right? Thank you.”

After her mom’s passing, it took Julie a while to get used to new people. Her phantom boys could attest to that, having had to endure one too many earfuls and outbursts before she’d fully warmed up to them. Something about Willie made it so easy, though. His personality was extremely loveable, his demeanor kind and warm. The same sweetness she’d grown to expect from Alex was evident in the skater, amplified by his extroversion. He was like a puppy. Or maybe an angel. An angelic puppy?

Something was still bothering her every time she looked at him, though. Something was just off.

“Where’s your board and helmet?” she finally asked, her lips pulled into a frown as it clicked. “If you’re a skater, you should have a board, at least.”

Willie had been leaping through people as they walked down the sidewalk, laughing madly. He nearly tripped at her question, pausing to whirl and face her. He suddenly looked timid. “Caleb took them from me. As punishment for helping you guys.”

Something seized in Julie’s heart. From what she gathered from the few tidbits from Alex, Willie didn’t go anywhere without his board. She remembered fondly the lovesick way he’d mentioned it, as if he really didn’t know he talked about Willie like the skater hung the stars. He said that one of the reasons he was alright with being a ghost was that, similarly to the ghosts of Sunset Curve, he got to spend eternity doing what he loved. He could skate anywhere and everywhere he wished.

Under normal circumstances, Julie would never approve of her actions. However, the ghost boy in front of her had sacrificed so much to help her band. And now, instead of ditching her, he was helping her and taking her under his wing. It was the least she could do, even if it went against some of her morals.

She latched onto his hand, ignoring the way he jolted in surprise at the abrupt touch. “Come on.” She started dragging him purposefully down the sidewalk, bracing herself as she sauntered right through people. Julie focused on the place she wanted to go, picturing it in her mind’s eye.

“Julie, where are we-“ His sentence cut off as they vanished from the sidewalk. They reappeared in the skateboard shop she’d been into with Carlos. It was fairly close to her house, and that had her chest feeling tight, but she shoved that thought down to smile mischievously up at him.

He looked around, whistling. “You’re really going to condone me taking a board from this place?”

She shrugged. “You’ve done a lot for my boys. You’re doing a lot for me now, too. You deserve to have your passion back, even if it is a little against my morals.”

The delight that shined in Willie’s eyes is enough to kill off the slight unease pooling in her gut. “Holy shit, Julie, you’re-“

Julie held up a hand. “Ju-Ju,” she interrupted. “And I know, I’m awesome.” She quirked her lips into a teasingly smug smile.

Willie tilted his head. “Ju-Ju?”

“Normally, I’d hate the nickname, but you gave it to me, so it stays. You gave me a nickname, so you don’t call me by my full name unless you need to for some reason.” At his look, she shrugged. “I don’t make the rules.”

He perked right back up. “And I’m the only one that gets to use it?”

“The only one that doesn’t get punched for it, yes. Your nickname only,” she assured.

“ _Sick_.”

Julie shook her head at his downright giddy expression. She stayed where she was, watching him dash through the shop. What a dork, she thought fondly. The knack she had for adopting stray ghost boys was slightly alarming, really.

Luckily for Willie, there was only a handful of people in the store at most, giving him free reign to scrutinize the boards as he pleased. The longer she watched him gush over them, the more her mind wandered off to her band. They’d gush over instruments the same way if they were in the music shop.

She really missed them. She’d grown so used to almost always having one of them tagging along with her, whether that be to the couch to watch a movie or to her dance class at school. Typically, she’d have Luke protectively at her side, looking relaxed but also scanning the space around them to make sure she was safe. If not Luke, there was Alex and Reggie or a combination of her boys. None of their presences were quiet, and she’d had to learn quickly to tune them out.

If she was honest with herself, she relished the company. She loved Flynn, but her best friend had her own life and her own priorities that differed from Julie’s. It was nice to have the boys at her side to talk to when she didn’t have Flynn. They’d each grown on her so quickly, and to not have one of them here now was different. It was a selfish thought, but she loved having her band to herself.

They were somewhere between ghost and human, able to be touched and seen by Julie whenever. Other people were a different story, though, and they’d figured out with a little trial and error down on the beach that the boys could show themselves to people if they concentrated on it hard. Touch wasn’t something they were sure about, not wanting to just touch random people.

The boys agreed with her that telling her dad and brother was off the table for the time being, at least until they got a handle on their newfound abilities. Hopefully, where she was reduced to standard ghost level, they’d be able to tell her family the situation for her.

It terrified her to think about how they would react to her ghost self. Imagining their expressions made her stomach churn.

She could practically see the shattered expression Luke would have, his soulful puppy dog eyes filled with sadness. “Julie,” he’d say, and his tone would be so crushed, his throat constricted with tears. He’d sweep her into a hug, throwing himself into finding a way to get her body back. He was the reckless sort, always acting before thinking.

Alex would be thrown into anxiety. It was a change, after all, and not a good one. Julie had a feeling her poor drummer would refuse to leave her side, even with Willie free. He’d curl into her, refusing to let her out of his sight. She could never peg down why he always looked so afraid she’d disappear despite him being the ghost and not her, but… she guessed it was only going to be worse now.

Julie worried the most about Reggie’s response. She’d taken to considering him another brother, relishing the easy way he’d sling his arm over her shoulder or come and just with her without expecting anything more than her company. He had such a sunny disposition that she knew without a doubt hid so much of him, and she was genuinely terrified that her being a ghost would do something awful to him.

Her boys had already been through hell, and she was going to be adding to it when they got back from their trip. Guilt sunk heavy in her chest.

She’d been so lost in her worries that she didn’t process Willie bounding towards her with a new board tucked under his arm until he was worriedly waving a hand in front of her face. “Ju-Ju?” The warmth from the nickname shoved her guilt away, her body feeling lighter. “You okay? You kind of zoned out there.”

Julie nodded, taking a deep breath and smiling. “Yeah, I’m good.” Her eyes fell to the board. “Looks good. Suits you well.”

Willie flat out beamed, holding it up to show it off. “Right? She’s perfect, I think. Maybe even better than my old one.”

His ride procured, the two of them teleported outside. Excited and practically vibrating with energy, Willie hopped on his board and pushed off, hollering happily. His lifted mood was infectious, and Julie found herself laughing right alongside him. She upped her amble to a job to keep up with him.

She’d never been one for recklessness, so racing down the sidewalk was a relatively new experience. “Willie, you jerk, wait up!” she called as he sped up. Her feet pounded against the concrete, and in her delight, she found herself not even hesitating to run right through people.

He stopped at a fairly empty street corner, tapping the edge of his board with his foot to keep it steady. “You know, we’ve got another day to kill. You told them Wednesday night, yeah?” At her nod, he hummed and gestured to his board slyly. “How about we kill the rest of today teaching you how to skate?”

Nervousness pricked at her and her eyes widened. “You want to teach me to skate?”

“Yeah.” His eyebrow lifted with fond challenge, the same kind of look Carlos gave her. “Is Julie Molina, badass singer extraordinaire, afraid of a skateboard?” Willie tutted, shaking his head.

She gawked at him, crossing her arms. “You’re really going to poke fun at me?” she shot in return, stepping closer to him. The apprehension fizzled out, replaced by the competitive fire she was so used to. Her expression shifted to a smirk, meeting his challenge. “You’re on, Tony Hawk.”

The rest of their day passed by surprising quick. Willie expertly kept her far from the looming doom of the next night, ensuring her mood stayed light. He attempted to teach her to skate, and when Julie fell one too many times, he switched her attention. She wasn’t too bad for being completely new, but it definitely wasn’t something that came naturally to her, and that frustration was eating on her.

It amazed her that Willie could recognize when she was at the end of her rope.

Instead of letting her stew over skating, he directed her to the carnival in town. Even though she couldn’t indulge herself in cotton candy or funnel cake, she enjoyed every minute of the carnival experience. Once Willie found out she’d never ridden any rides before, he’d insisted they ride every single one, sneakily making sure their spots never got taken by any lifers.

She learned quickly that his favorite rides were the ones that spun and made his stomach flip all over. Julie’s own stomach rolled more and more with each one (who knew ghosts could get motion sickness?) but she couldn’t help giving into Willie’s giddy request for one last ride.

One last ride was quickly changed into two, two into five, and so on until they’d ridden every ride enough times to make Julie lose count. By the time they’re stumbling out of the carnival, her stomach was cramping and she felt like she was walking across a ship’s deck in the middle of a storm. Her spirits were high nonetheless, and she couldn’t wipe the dopey smile from her face.

“I haven’t had that much fun in so long!” Willie exclaimed, looping an arm around her shoulder. She preened at the easy touch. “Man, I forgot how great it was to just let loose with someone.”

Their feet were lazily taking them towards the ghost hotel, Julie’s pace matched with Willie’s. “You’ll have to drag Alex to Disneyland or something,” she suggested. “You guys would love that. The perfect date for you guys, actually.”

His bright expression tinged with sadness and his step faltered. “Yeah.” Where Julie had expected him to be over the moon at the thought of taking Alex out, his tone was certainly a far cry from it, soft and lilting.

Sensing the fun finally ebbing, she frowned his way. Reaching up, she touched his hand on her shoulder. “You okay?”

“Always,” he quipped. The response was automatic, and they both knew it. Willie flinched and sighed, looking down at the cement as they walked. “It’s really stupid, but I’ve been distracting myself from thinking about Alex. Purely selfish reasons why, too.”

She didn’t vocally respond, just gave a slight nod to encourage him forward. Interrupting Willie had the potential of making him close back up. She patiently waited for him to continue, gaze absentmindedly taking in the city around them. It wasn’t too long until he spoke again, enough to grant him time to mull over his words before they came out.

“It’s my fault that your band got wrapped into Caleb’s shit,” he mumbled, pushing his hair out of his face. “From what you said, they got to be sort of corporeal for some reason or another, so that’s at least one good thing that came out of it. I guess that’s good.” Emotions flicked over his features too fast for Julie to identify, but one looked suspiciously like envy.

He pursed his lips. “They still almost died, you know? A second time. And that was all because I couldn’t stay away from Alex.” He gave a rueful laugh that made Julie’s heart hurt. “To top it off, in a wrap around way, I ended up getting you sort of killed, and now you’re stuck here.”

“You didn’t get me killed,” she told him in a soft but firm voice. He opened his mouth to argue, but she talked over him. “Nope, you don’t get to dispute anything I say about it, got it? I got myself into this mess, too, and only Caleb is to blame for it. He’s the villain here, not you.”

Willie looked ready to fight her words, but he wisely chose to stay silent. His expression crumbled further. “I just don’t deserve Alex.” He sounded so broken that Julie couldn’t help leaning farther into his side. “After everything that’s happened, I just don’t. I thought a glimpse of him on the beach would be enough, that the confirmation that Caleb hadn’t gotten him meant I could be okay knowing he was safe.”

He slowed to a stop, Julie stopping with him. His eyes fixate on a rock beside his foot, his eyebrows furrowed. “I’m not okay, I don’t think,” he confessed.

The Willie that was right here next to her suddenly looked so young. This wasn’t an adult who had gotten to live and make choices for himself. It struck her then that Willie was just as much a kid as she was, and he’d been through death alone. He’d spent years by himself, and even though he claimed he had fun and enjoyed himself, he obviously was incredibly lonely and was growing dimmer and dimmer the longer time went on.

At least with her death, she’s had Willie to brace her. When he’d died, he hadn’t had anyone to catch him and help him pick up the broken pieces.

Heart shattering, she moved to hug him, burying her face in his chest. “You and Alex deserve each other.” Her voice came out adamantly, hopefully making sure Willie couldn’t argue with her. “I don’t know all of what you or he have been through but I know you’ve both tried so hard to make up for any mistakes you’ve made.” She squeezed him a little tighter. “He doesn’t blame you, and neither do the rest of us. I’m really thankful for everything you’ve done. You gave us a fighting chance.”

She pulled back, making sure his eyes were meeting hers when she said, “I’m sure Caleb would have found us some other way, so we’re putting the blame on him and him alone.” She nudged him. “Got it?”

Willie didn’t look convinced, but he definitely appeared lighter. The crease to his brow was gone, the dimness of his eyes chased away. His regular, crooked grin took the place of his frown, and even though it looked just left from normal, it was a vast improvement to how he’d looked only mere minutes before. “Got it, Ju-Ju.” He ruffled her curls affectionately. “Thanks.”

“Any time. Ghost problems seem to be my specialty.” She started walking again, training her focus on the lights. “I know I’ve said it before, but I really do see why Alex adores you as much as he does. You’re really something.”

“Something?” When she glanced over at him, she couldn’t help a short laugh at the cute wrinkle to his nose. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Julie merely shrugged, not having to think it over. “You’re sweet, fun, and one of those people that make others happy without even trying.” A fond smile graced her lips. “That’s Alex, too.”

Willie went silent for a while, his arm slipping from her shoulder to tuck his hands in his pockets. “So Alex really does dig me, then?”

“You’re really asking that?” She held back the laughter that bubbled up.

He chuckled, the sound sheepish and insecure. They stopped outside of the hotel doors. “We haven’t exactly talked about what’s between us, and up until a short time ago, I’d thought he crossed over.”

Julie froze, the color draining from her face. “Wait, so you’re telling me the two of you haven’t done anything? You’ve never held hands or been on a date?” He shook his head, and she groaned. “I’m over here practically professing his love for you when there’s been absolutely no development between you. Oh my _hell_.”

***

After Willie had finally gotten Julie to stop worrying about her spilling all of Alex’s feelings to him, she’d slept through the rest of the early morning hours into the afternoon. That put the two of them standing in front of the studio at just after four, staring at the closed doors. Julie’s anxiety was growing to be suffocating, the urge to run making her skin crawl. She did want to go in, but her fear kept her feet rooted where she stood, her chest too constricted.

“I can’t do this,” she breathed to Willie, her eyes wide and petrified. “This is too much.”

“You can, and you need to. You have to.” He rested his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. “Alex mentioned how you got back into music after losing your mom. You’re wicked strong for doing that, so if anyone can do this, it’s you.” He nodded to the doors. “Whenever you’re ready.”

Julie took a steadying breath, her palms sweating and hot. She wiped them on her jeans, swallowing thickly as she looks to Willie. Catching a glimpse of his easy, encouraging smile, she steps forward and phases through the doors. To her selfish relief, the studio’s empty.

It looked a bit torn apart, actually. Things had been moved and scattered, almost as if someone had been looking for something. As the reality of the situation dawned on her, her relief broke into dread, veins flooding with ice. She closed her eyes, body starting to shake. It had been three full days and two nights since she’d disappeared, and she could only imagine the sheer panic her dad and Carlos most be in.

She’d almost forgotten Willie was standing behind her until he spoke. “How about we go relax in the loft?” he suggested softly. She didn’t respond, so she had to be coaxed up to it. He tucked her into a gushy chair she’d dragged up there a while back.

“There we go. Cozy and safe, yeah?” He tucked to her side, cuddling her up to him.

Julie looked up at him, her lip wobbling and cheeks blotching. That sent Willie into panic mode, his eyes wide. “No, no, no, please don’t cry. It’s going to be just fine, okay, Ju-Ju?” He kissed her head. “The boys will be back soon, and they’ll know how to comfort you way better than I can.” He tried grinning at her, but his teasing tone fell flat. She was still giving him the same look, on the verge of breaking down once again.

He only snuggled her closer, nestling her into the crook of his neck. The sentiment served to drive her closer to tears, and she clung to his shirt with a tight, white-knuckled grip.

Willie, obviously already knowing he wasn’t going to be getting away any time soon, sighed and relaxed into her, pressing a second kiss to her temple. “I’m not kidding about the guys knowing how to comfort you better,” he pointed out after a long pause. “Luke, especially. They’ll know just how to help you, and they’ll have you fixed and lifer-ed up in no time.”

She burrowed deeper against him, ears brightening to pink and a frown on her lips. “I feel called out,” she grumbled.

“Good, because I was meaning to.” He laughed softly. “Consider it payback for you teasing me about Alex.” He settled in against her, and this time, the silence was comfortable.

Luckily, it didn’t take more than an hour for her phantoms to get back. The silence that the studio had been in abruptly gave way to the boys hollering. Their happy banter had Julie curling in tighter, the dread prodding her. She knew the band was finally relaxed and content, having been free of being at her side for the past few days. It stung her to know she was about to drop an awful bomb on them.

Willie squeezed her shoulders gently. “Hey,” he whispered, nudging her until she met his eyes. “It’s going to be alright, remember? They’re your band, and you guys are unstoppable.” He got up, pulling her to feet. “Ready when you are, Ju-Ju.”

She couldn’t make out what the boys were saying below. Bracing herself and giving Willie a terrified look, she nodded and vanished from the loft. Willie followed suit. The two of them reappeared next to the piano, their presence making the boys look up.

Except, her boys didn’t look at her at all. Their eyes were fixated on Willie.

Alex, sprawled on the couch, raised his head. His eyes locked onto the skater and he was immediately scrambling up, his lips split into the widest grin. “Willie!” There’s a chorus of similar greeting from Luke and Reggie, but nothing quite as enthusiastic as the drummer’s. Before Willie could greet him back, Alex was tackling him into a hug.

Reggie poked Luke, humming. “Guess he found us instead,” he quipped. “All of our searching, and he just pops into the studio.” Julie melted at Luke’s laughter and couldn’t help mirroring the sound.

Normally the sound would have at least one of the guys looking at her with their fond grin. As her eyes flicked between her three phantoms, her fear amplified. “Guys?” she called questioningly, her voice wavering. She took a step back, hugging herself. Her eyes filled with tears when none of them answered her.

Willie shot her a confused, worried look but stayed hugging onto Alex. “I missed you,” he told the drummer. The relief Julie knew he was feeling was peppered with rising anxiety. “I didn’t want Caleb finding you, so I had to stay back.” He looked at all three of them, though his eyes lingered on Alex. “I’m really glad to know you guys didn’t cross over.”

“You and us both.” Luke leaned forward, grinning. His eyes gleamed with emotion that Julie could only take guesses at, but she pegged it as elation. “We get to stay here with Julie and play all the music we want with her. Isn’t that epic?”

“It would be really epic if someone answered Julie,” she threw out, her voice cracking. Her gaze desperately flicked between her bandmates. She went to the couch, waving her hand in front of Luke and Reggie’s faces. “That’s what would be really, _really_ epic, Luke.”

At her climbing hysteria, Willie pulled himself back from Alex’s hug. He bit his lip. “About all of that, I-“

“Where is Julie anyway?” Reggie piped up, a frown on his lips. He set his bass down. “It’s weird she’s not out here playing.” Suddenly, he perked, a lightbulb going off in his head. “Dude, she hasn’t met you yet! She’s going to _love_ you.”

Julie’s not sure what sick prank the boys had decided to play on her, but it wasn’t funny. Not now. She wanted the sinking feeling in her gut to go away. Frustrated and hurting, she balled her hands into fists, her jaw setting. “I’m not out here playing because I can’t even touch my piano anymore!” she yelled, squeezing her eyes shut. Tears slipped down her cheeks. “Guys, this isn’t funny. I’m _dead_!”

It felt like a punch to her gut when they ignored her outburst. She opened her eyes, shooting Willie a glance full of pain before she burst into sobs. Air wasn’t something she needed anymore, but she was struggling to get enough. “Why are you guys being so mean?” She whirled, looking from one to the next. Padding up to her drummer, she begged, “Alex, _please_.” She went to grab him, but her fingers never connected with him.

Her hand went right through Alex, just like it had the night she met them, but this time, he never so much as flinched.


	4. Alex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys find out Julie's missing and have a breakdown. Well, part of a breakdown, because we all know these boys hold everything in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was trying to figure out how best to transition and was drawing a blank, and I was also attempting to write this amidst all of my finals, so that just made things worse. It's updated now, though, as of late January if you're an old reader. Next one is Luke, though, and that one should be longer and better. Alex will definitely be getting much more love than just this mere little chapter.

The sharp inhale from Willie had Alex’s elated expression warping with concern. “Are you okay?” he fretted, looking him over. “Are you hurt or something? Has Caleb done anything?” The drummer went to take Willie’s hands, but he pulled them away before he could.

Hurt flooded Alex’s senses. The pain must have been clear on his face, he guessed, since Willie swallowed thickly and quickly took his hands to rectify the situation. “No, I’m fine,” he assured him with a bright grin. It looked hollow and a little lost, and Alex could see the panic steadily rising behind his eyes.

“Listen, I totally forgot I had a ghost in need of some serious help, so I’ve got to go.” He gave Alex’s fingers a comforting squeeze. “Alex, I’m alright, trust me.”

His eyebrows knit together. “You’re sure?” In a bolt of anxiousness, he looked Willie over one more time just to make sure he wasn’t holding back anything. There was no visible damage to him, but then again, could he even have physical damage where he was a ghost? He hoped not. Shaking the thought, he met the skater’s eyes again, confused at the horror he was seeing. That wasn’t his doing, was it?

“I’m sure.” He let go of Alex’s hands, stepping back. “I’ve just got to take care of some things, but I’ll be back tonight, I swear. You’re too important for me not to be back here as soon as I possibly can be.” Willie’s gaze flicked to the spot next to Alex, dread taking over his features. He watched as the skater gave a slight shake of his head, cursed, and disappeared.

There’s a few beats of silence, and then Luke’s voice is behind him. “What was that about?” he asked curiously. Alex turned to see both of his bandmates standing from the couch. Luke’s arms were crossed loosely, an eyebrow raised. At his side, Reggie had his head tilted, expression worked into confusion. “I’d have thought Willie would throw himself at you. I mean, you didn’t cross over, so there’s no reason for him to be holding back since you’re free of Caleb.”

“The way he was talking made it sound like he was free of him, too,” Reggie added, shrugging. “If he’s free, there really shouldn’t be anything stopping him.”

Alex worried his lip. He started to pace without a thought. “Yeah, but a ghost in trouble that he just forgot about sounds off.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his pink hoodie. “And did you guys see the look on his face? He looked terrified of something.”

Luke sighed. “I don’t know, man. We’ll just have to wait until he gets back to grill him. I’m sure it’s nothing.” He waved his hand, offering Alex a small smile.

The drummer nodded. He paused after a bit, looking around. “So, anyone else notice the studio looks off?”

Reggie’s gaze flicked around the room. “Maybe we should check on Julie,” he suggested slowly. He worried his lip with his teeth. “Something doesn’t feel right.”

Luke went pale, nudging Reggie’s chest with the back of his hand. “Yeah, no, I felt it, but I thought I was just being paranoid again. But if you boys are feeling it too…” He let his voice drift off, sharing a scared look between the three of them.

“Something’s definitely wrong.” Not waiting for Luke and Reggie, he teleported to Julie’s bedroom, too worried to stress about knocking. He tried telling himself nothing was wrong, but when he saw the state of her room identically mussed like the studio had been, his heart sunk and alarm bells started ringing in his skull.

He couldn’t even be bothered to take in the details when it was obvious that Julie wasn’t there. Luke appeared on the beanbag, Reggie on the bed. Alex watched their expressions crumble just as quickly as his own had.

“This feels wrong,” Reggie said softly, nervously curling in on himself. His legs were brought towards his chest, his head resting on his knees. “Why’s her room look just as overturned as the studio?”

“Maybe she was looking for something.” Luke scrambled to his feet, his eyes finding Reggie’s and then Alex’s. His gaze was desperate, that was clear. “She’s fine. She’s probably downstairs with her dad and her little brother. Julie’s _Julie_. She’s not-“ Alex could fill in the blank he left. Julie wasn’t like Luke. She wouldn’t run away, not when her family was so supportive and they’d been through so much. She especially wouldn’t leave without telling her band where she was going.

Julie didn’t have the issues they’d had with their families. She’d had loss, but that had just made her grow closer to her dad and brother, not tear her farther from them. Alex threw the idea out the window. As much as they all flocked to those kinds of ideas because they were what the three of them knew, Julie was so much different than they were.

Something really must be wrong. There was no avoiding that bit.

They knew they’d been overly clingy when it came to their lead singer. Since everything went down with Caleb and the Orpheum show, they’d been terrified they’d disappear on her without getting to say goodbye. The three of them had taken to spending as much time with Julie as they possibly could. It was selfish of them, but they loved her too much to just risk disappearing on her.

They were also stupidly aware that Caleb was the type to be a sore loser. At first they’d been on guard about the whole ordeal, but after almost a month had done by and there was still no sign of him, they’d started to relax.

Traveling for Alex and Luke’s birthdays was really just a way of forcing themselves to try and give Julie space. Guess that idea had worked out phenomenally. Julie was nowhere to be found, and it was looking more and more as if something was extremely wrong.

The three of them went through the house, Alex following Luke and Reggie as the two of them searched. The drummer was a bundle of nerves, wringing his hands and shaking as they checked every room in the upstairs part of the house.

He kept hoping Julie would be in one of those rooms, going about her day as casually as possible. He kept waiting to hear her voice, whether that be her singing echoing around the house or her laughter as she chatted with her family. It never came, though, the house eerily silent. Alex’s skin was crawling, his pulse hammering in his throat even though his heart no longer beat. His stomach was tied into knots so tightly he thought he might puke.

She had to be somewhere around the house. Things couldn’t have possibly gone to hell in just a matter of days.

In the back of his mind, Alex knew Reggie and Luke were in just as much panic as he was. He found himself all too focused on staving off the panic attack, aware of his too fast breathing and the dark edges to his vision. He couldn’t do much more than hurry after them through the house, his mind buzzing numbly amidst the drowned pleadings for Julie to be safe and there. Everything was just growing too loud, and his nonexistent body felt too constricting, and where on Earth was Julie-

And then… and then he stumbled onto Ray on the couch, his phone held to his ear with a shaking hand. His cheeks were puffy and stained with tear tracks, and the crescendo of noise in Alex’s head came to a screeching halt. “Ray?”

Julie’s dad was crying silently, his eyes closed. Alex’s own lip wobbled at the sight of him. “We left her alone for less than four days, and that’s when something went wrong?” he rasped, voice thick.

He nearly flinched at Luke’s hand slipping into his, but he was quick to recover and link their fingers tightly. His friend was fixated on Ray when he turned his head to look at him. Luke’s eyes were shining with tears, his lips parted. Alex glanced the opposite way in time to watch Reggie hesitantly taking Alex’s other hand, his form shaking.

“Please tell me we’re completely overreacting,” Reggie murmured pleadingly. His small voice was so uncharacteristic that Alex’s heart squeezed. He twined their fingers so he could tighten his grip on Reggie, hating to hear him sound so frightened. He’d only heard the bassist sound like this on the worst nights in the Peters household, the nights where’d he come and hide away in the studio. For him to be feeling that same level of fear and heartbreak made Alex’s chest feel even tighter than it already did.

Alex only realized Ray was carrying a conversation on the phone when Ray finally spoke, his voice hoarse. He sounded like he hadn’t slept in days. “I don’t know where else to look,” he choked out, and Alex’s panic spiked again. “Julie’s just… gone. Vanished into thin air. No note, no indication on where she would have gone. I can’t track her phone, and it goes to voicemail every time. She’s just gone.” His voice broke and then he was crying again, pushing his palm to his eyes.

Luke’s grip on Alex’s fingers clamped tighter. “Julie wouldn’t run away,” he insisted. His harsh tone had both bandmates flinching and turning to look at him. “She wouldn’t leave Ray and Carlos. She wouldn’t just up and leave us, either. She’d made sure we knew, even if she _was_ leaving for some reason.”

“Maybe she didn’t run away.” Reggie’s eyes flicked to the floor. “What if she- what if she’s gone? Like _us_ type of gone?”

A tense silence met the room as the idea struck them hard. Then, a firm: “She’s not.”

Alex swallowed thickly, giving Luke a hopeless look. “Man-“

“She’s not,” the guitarist repeated fervently. His features were hard aside from the slightest wobble of his lips. “She’s not gone. There’s no body, no nothing. Maybe she just…” He went quiet, biting his lip to keep it from giving him away.

Pain shot through Alex’s veins red-hot. He may have his own panic to deal with, but watching Luke and Reggie fall into the same downward spiral hurt even more. These were his brothers, after all, not just his bandmates. His hands unsteady, he shakes off Luke and Reggie’s grips to place his hands on Luke’s shoulders.

It makes Luke meet his eyes, and Alex fights down the urge to pull him into a hug. He hadn’t seen Luke look this small since he came to them after running away. “You’re right that she’s not us,” he told him, his voice soft and slow. “But Luke, we also know Julie wouldn’t worry her family like this. Not on purpose. And she also wouldn’t be gone so long that her dad reacted like this.”

Ray took a deep breath, and all three of them snapped their gazes to him. “The police haven’t found anything, Victoria.” He pushed his finger through his hair, letting his head hang. “I should have called them sooner, but I thought that she’d went to Flynn’s house. When I called her mom, she said they’d been in Louisiana for a week already. She’s been gone over 72 hours, and no one’s seen her.”

“Three days.” Reggie looked sick. “we’ve been bouncing across the country, and- and Julie’s been missing?” He’s the first one to start crying, his voice shrill as tears started to slip down his cheeks. “Guys.”

Neither Alex or Luke could keep themselves under wraps once Reggie lost it. Alex finally gave in and hugged the bassist to him, a sob bubbling up when Reggie immediately clung to him for comfort. He knew Luke wasn’t about to join the hug without an invite, so he blindly reached out and grabbed him, tugging him in against them. The three of them collapsed in on each other.

“Did we fail her?” Alex faintly heard Luke mumble.

The drummer tensed, shaking his head. “No. No, we didn’t. I don’t know what happened, but I don’t think we’re to blame, okay?” Luke and Reggie avoided his eyes, and a fierce frown found its way to his lips. “We don’t know anything about what happened. We don’t get to blame ourselves without knowing.”

He looked to Ray, who’d hung up on Julie’s aunt and put his head in his hands. Alex wanted to go hug him and reassure him, but they’d never shown themselves to any of Julie’s family. To quote Luke, it wouldn’t be the feel good moment Alex thought it was. It made guilt swirl that he couldn’t do anything, but he rubbed his face and looked back at his band. “Let’s go back to the studio,” he murmured.

Reggie hadn’t let go of his shirt. The poor boy looked so young and lost, and Alex just hugged him tighter. Luke pulled away from them, hugging himself while his eyes fell to the ground. “You and Reggie head back out. I’m going to stay here with Ray for a while.”

Alex went to argue, knowing Luke self-destructed while on his own, but he knew it would be futile to start anything now. They’d been through enough that he knew Luke needed some time alone, just enough to process without getting to the destruction part. He nodded, throat still constricted with emotion, and took Reggie and himself back to the studio.

It’s easy to get Reggie situated on the couch and wrapped up in blankets with him. Unlike Alex, the bassist wasn’t the type to get talkative and freak out. Reggie just sort of… broke. His body was lip, eyes glazed and staring at nothing, consumed with his own thoughts. Alex took his hand and held it, hoping the pressure on his palm and fingers would keep him from completely drawing in on himself.

Maybe he’s reassuring Reggie and maybe he’s reassuring himself, but he couldn’t stop from telling him, “We’ll find her. Julie couldn’t have gone far, and maybe Willie can help. Someone has to know something.”

Reggie didn’t respond vocally, just moved his body closer to Alex’s. Silent tears were still slipping down his cheeks. He wasn’t sure what else to do to help, and the uselessness he felt in those moments had his heart feeling like it’s being punctured. He had to physically stop himself from digging his nails into his skin in frustration. Grinding his teeth down to keep from sobbing, he squeezed his eyes shut and curled his body into Reggie’s.


	5. Luke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke's reaction to the news. He has a little heart to heart with Ray.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear they're all a lil OOC. Next up, back to Julie! Honestly, I tend to write short works of dumb humor or cute romance scenes, so actually doing a full fledged work is daunting. Also, as of 1/22/2021, this chapter and everything before it is updated and edited a tiny bit. Everything after this chapter is posted after that date, currently, and hasn't had the same treatment.

He’d failed Julie.

Alex had been firm in telling them that they weren’t at fault, but it wasn’t like Luke could just believe that. The timing was too coincidental for it not to be their fault one way or another, whether it was directly caused by them or not.

He’d thought they were clear of Caleb. After a month of radio silence, he’d thought that maybe Caleb really had given up and admitted defeat. It had been a horrid pill for Alex to swallow, that with no sign of Caleb there was even less chance of a sign of Willie. His heart went out to his drummer. Watching him mourn the first guy he really felt safe liking hurt.

Luke had thought Julie was safe from danger. _Guess she wasn’t as safe as I thought_ , he grumbled ruefully to himself. He’d taken a seat on the couch next to Ray, his knees tucked under his chin. His jaw was set, pain stinging from how hard he was gritting his teeth. He knew the position was instinctively to keep himself as small as possible, though whether that was from his overwhelming emotions, to keep Ray from going through him, or to help him self-soothe, he wasn’t sure.

Ray hadn’t moved from his bowed posture, his shoulders hunched. He looked totally defeated. As Luke stared at him, guilt flared in his chest. It was his fault the poor man was grieving and confused. He didn’t have the little insight Julie did on the world and was simply left to believe his daughter was gone, reason be damned. There was no body for him to bury this time around.

That left the Molina family as Ray and Carlos for all Ray knew, and that thought made Luke queasy. They’d just began to recover from losing Julie’s mom, and now they’d lost Julie herself.

Luke took a deep breath, the sound rattling through his lungs wetly. “I’m so sorry,” he hoarsely told Ray, scrubbing his face with his hand. “Mr. Molina, I failed your daughter after everything she’s done for us.”

Ray didn’t move, but Luke wasn’t expecting him to. It was better that he couldn’t hear him anyway. He uncurled his legs enough to face Ray, bracing an arm against the couch. His mouth opened and closed soundlessly as he tried to figure out what to say – what he needed to say, even if it was to Ray when he couldn’t even hear him. He’s silent for a while, his sight blurring as new wave of tears threatened to spill over.

“Julie’s got the most beautiful voice of anyone I’ve ever heard.” His voice was shaky and some of his words broke, but he pushed them out anyway. “She’s a powerhouse. I’ve never had someone that just _gets_ music like I do. She makes me a better writer and artist, and I like to think I make her better, too.”

His gaze dipped to the couch. “A bright spirit like hers doesn’t get to just be tossed out like mine was. She deserves too much out of life. It’s my fault she’s missing – missing, because she’s not dead – so I’m going to do whatever the hell I need to do to make sure you get your daughter back.” Luke brushed the tears away again.

“If she’s gone, then what’s my purpose in being here?” A sob fought its way into Luke’s throat. He didn’t need to breathe, but he felt like air was escaping him. His body was beginning to grow heavy. “Julie brought us back. Julie gave us our second chance. Julie saved us from Caleb. All of it comes down to _Julie_ , and if she’s really gone, why am I still here?”

He couldn’t see anything with how much his tears had blurred his vision. Tears were flowing down his cheeks faster than he could wipe them away. The pain in his chest had brightened to be white-hot, his heart feeling void. It felt like dying all over again.

Luke had tried to keep his distance from Julie physically. He constantly wanted to treat her like he did Alex and Reggie. He wanted to cuddle with her, casually drape his arm around her, and nudge her to see her smile. He was an extremely affectionate person – his bandmates had grown to be physically affectionate for his sake, honestly – and he hadn’t wanted to make Julie uncomfortable with that. Now, he was regretting not hugging her or brushing against her more often.

He wanted nothing more than to have Julie next to him again. Every nerve in his body ached to hold her close, to bury his face in her curls and let himself relish the feeling of her warmth next to him. She just wanted to know she was real and there and safe. Everything he’d ever stopped himself from telling her, every light touch he’d stopped himself from giving her – he’d tell her then, do it then, if he could just have her back.

He’d meant what he’d told Julie the night of the Orpheum. Music was his first love, but he didn’t want to be writing songs or performing on stage if he couldn’t have Julie there for every step. She was supposed to be at his side for every last note and every single clap as the audience went wild for them. For _her_.

Shit, Luke would give absolutely anything to have her here again. He longed for her bright smile, the one she saved for him, Alex, and Reggie that showed the cute gap in her teeth. His fingers twitched from where they were balled up in his lap, reminiscing about how small Julie was wrapped up in his arms the night of the Orpheum. He yearned to hear her voice again, even if it was just to lecture him about boundaries.

He wanted to believe she wasn’t dead, but she wasn’t the type to up and run away. Something was wrong. And if she _was_ gone, he hadn’t even gotten to say goodbye to her, and that’s what hurt the most. He’d never truly understood his parents’ pain until now. Regret sparked in him, making the tears come heavier.

It’s while he’s sobbing that Ray moved. At first, Luke didn’t notice, his mind shut down and body thrumming with too much emotion to process much else. It’s only when his arms were securely wrapping around him and Ray was brokenly trying to soothe him with whispers that Luke realized that he’s solid and visible. He leaned into him instantly, letting him hug him tightly in that way he remembered his dad hugging him so long ago. He felt Ray’s body start to wrack with identical sobs and ended up clinging tighter until he’d exhausted himself. Ghosts didn’t usually sleep, he’d found out, but after the toll his cries had taken on him, he welcomed it.

***

Luke wasn’t in the studio, that was for sure. It was silly to think that he could tell based off the atmosphere, but that’s what it came down to. The way he was oriented, he couldn’t have been on the couch out there, and it didn’t have the same scent in the air that the studio did. For a moment, Luke thought he was in Reggie or Alex’s lap, too, but as reality hit him full swing, he knew that wasn’t right.

Bolting up, he nearly fell off the couch with the force of his movement. He shifted away from Ray, who was quick to throw his hands up, his puffy and red face speckled with confusion but clearly trying to look unthreatening. His lip was wobbling before Luke could help it, and he was back into tears the moment he really took in Ray’s presence.

“Mr. Molina, I’m so sorry,” he choked out, looking down and rubbing his eyes.

Ray shook his head. “There’s nothing to be sorry over. I think.” He swallowed thickly and lowered his hands. “Do you mind telling me who you are and why you’re crying on my couch? I mean, I’d love to just let rationality fly out the window and scream, but I’m really trying to keep a grasp on my sanity after the last few days.” He chuckled awkwardly. “And you did just sort of appear on my couch sobbing, so there’s that.”

Luke sniffled and gave a wet chuckle. “You’re not even supposed to be able to see me. I’m not sure how you did since I wasn’t concentrating on making you see me or anything.” Before Ray could get even more confused, he quickly blurted, “I’m Luke.”

“Luke,” Ray repeated, testing the name out. He nodded with a soft, understanding hum. “One of Julie’s bandmates, right?” His carefully controlled expression faltered at her name, pain flashing in his eyes. It just made Luke’s guilt come crashing back down on his shoulders.

“Yeah. Just, uh, not from… Sweden?” His nose wrinkled. “I think that’s where she told you we were from. Sorry she lied to you about us.” He winced, running his fingers through his hair. “We’re not actually a hologram band. I barely know what a 2020 phone looks like let alone if holograms are actually possible.”

Ray blinked, taking in the information. “So Carlos was right about the ghosts, then? I love my daughter, but I’m fairly sure she completely forgot that I spend my life working with photography and image-capture technology.” The remark was accompanied with a soft quirk of his lips, and Luke couldn’t be more grateful for the attempt at humor. At the very least, it assured him that Ray wasn’t upset.

“He’s right,” he confirmed. His head tilted to the side. “You’re not going to freak out about this? Julie screamed a few times when we first appeared, and I’m no dad, but I’d definitely be concerned about my daughter hanging around teenage boys, even if we are ghosts.”

“ _Mijo_ , I’ve had a week from hell. At this point, it’s almost a welcome presence to have you here.” Ray hesitated, shifting. “I don’t really understand what’s going on, so you’ll have some explaining to do. What I do gather right now is that you’re important to Julie and you changed something in here for the better.” He propped his arms up on his knees, gaze on Luke. “You’re a connection to her, and right now, I’ll take what I can get and not question it.”

Luke stared at Ray in amazement. He went slack-jawed, and before he could sputter anything out, Ray added, “As for the matter of my daughter being around three teenage boys, I’m absolutely sure my daughter could and would beat any of you up for trying anything she didn’t want. I trust her, though we’ll be having a talk about all of that later, got it? For now, fill me in on everything.”

He sounded so casual and understanding that Luke simply stared. It astounded him that he could be so calm about all of this, but then again, this was the man that raised the absolute goddess that was Julie Molina. Sure, she’d freaked out at first, as it was a perfectly normal reaction, but she’d quickly taken them in stride. She’d accepted them and went with the flow of it. Ray’s expression, dampened with grief, was open and kind, and it mirrored the one he’d seen on Julie so well that his throat constricted with emotion all over again.

Eventually he nodded, and he hesitantly started explaining the events leading up to the Orpheum. He tried not to spare many details, though he actively avoided Alex’s sexuality in terms of Willie’s appearance in their afterlives. Luke couldn’t have been more relived that during his recount, Ray’s expression never faltered. He never got upset, never showed pity, and never flashed one judgmental look his way. He just simply digested the information as he received it.

Ray did react a bit when Luke got to the Orpheum show. “Julie saved us from Caleb that night,” he told him. Luke’s leg had been bouncing through everything he said, but the wave of gratefulness directed at Julie had his body stilling. He dipped his gaze from Ray’s, not able to look at him when his voice started to hitch. “She, uh, stripped the mark somehow. We’re not sure why, but we’re not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, you know? We’ve been tampering with being visible to others outside of performing, since it takes so much concentration, and we’ve never tried being solid to anyone else but Julie before.”

Ray raised an eyebrow at that. Even with what he’d said early, Luke expected a stern threat about staying appropriate with his daughter. His heart sank, waiting for whatever Ray was going to say. He’s not expecting his voice to come out light and teasing when he spoke. “So you’re telling me that you boys could have been coming to family diner for a while now, and nobody bothered to say a word? Granted, you boys don’t eat, but it would have been nice to have you there nonetheless.”

Luke’s head snapped up in surprise. “Family dinner?” he sputtered.

“Of course, _mijo_.” Ray smiled warmly, reaching out to lay a hand on Luke’s knee. “You’ve done amazing things for Julie. All three of you have. I consider that family.”

He didn’t know how to respond. Ray’s words were so overwhelmingly genuine that it left no room for him to doubt them. Being called “son” was one thing, especially from a dad, but being told bluntly that he was family when he’d only officially met Ray was a different level. Luke settled for smiling widely, knowing the emotions he couldn’t express verbally were painted across his face. “Thanks, Mr. Molina.”

Ray’s nose wrinkled, his lips in a frown. “I’m fairly sure you’re entitled to call me Dad at this point. Ray, at the very least, if that’s more to your liking.” He gave Luke a semi-stern eyeballing. “None of this ‘Mr. Molina’ stuff. I’m not that old.”

Grinning sheepishly, Luke picked at a loose thread on his jeans. “Right. Sorry, Mr. Mo- _Ray_.” He sighed in relief when Ray hummed approvingly.

They fell into comfortable silence, but what wasn’t being said steadily ate at Luke until he blurted, “Reggie, Alex, and I got really clingy when we realized we weren’t dying all over again. We just didn’t like being away from her very long in case just disappeared, I guess.” He worried his lip, meeting Ray’s eyes. “I really hope we didn’t do anything, but the timing is just too coincidental for me not to stress.”

At his look, he explained nervously, “We forced ourselves to go travel for a couple of days so that Julie got some time to herself because we really hadn’t left her alone. We used Alex’s birthday as an excuse, and to really get her to agree, we brought up mine. It was a bit underhanded of us, but we figured it would do the trick.”

He took a deep breath, steeling himself. “But Ray, Julie went missing while we were gone. I think it’s our fault your daughter isn’t here.”

Ray sighed and shook his head. “It sounds to me like maybe someone took advantage of your absence,” he corrected him. Leaning in, he coaxed Luke into facing him fully. He placed his hand on his shoulder, eyes serious. “Luke, I need you to believe me when I say it’s not on any of you, okay?”

Luke wanted to argue. He wanted to more than anything, and the guilt festering in his gut urged him to fight Ray’s words. Eventually, he nodded with a defeated noise. “Okay,” he relented quietly.

“Good.” He let go of Luke. “Then how about you go get Alex and Reggie whenever they’re calmed down? I’d like to meet them, and maybe then we can figure out what to do next?”

A lopsided grin was pulled to his lips. “Yeah. That’ll be really nice, I think. Thanks, Ray.”

Ray mirrored the expression before pushing himself off the couch. He didn’t look nearly as troubled, though clearly the worry and sadness hadn’t completely been wiped away. “I’m going to go start on dinner. Maybe we can test if you can eat now or not, too.” He seemed to know exactly how perked up Luke would get, as he laughed and winked before leaving the room.

Julie’s disappearance was still on the forefront of his mind, but at least now it seemed a little more bearable. There seemed to be a bit of hope instead of just darkness to drown in. Luke felt like he could easier, his chest not so weighted down. H laid back on the couch, grinning all the while.

It felt really nice to have Ray. Luke spent a fair chunk of his time at his parents’ house before the Orpheum show, but he hadn’t been too often since then. With his second brush with his death – this one much more permanent than the first one, it seemed – he realized that it was better for him not to torment himself being around them so often. They couldn’t see him, shouldn’t see him, and the more he was there, the more he itched to let them know he wasn’t gone. It would only lead them to more questions and stir up grief they’d had time to process.

Luke admittedly hadn’t processed his death well, but he’d processed enough to understand that he was impeding his own grief. So, he’d clung to Julie and his boys and shoved down the need to disappear to his old home. He had a new one, and he’d always check in on his parents, but his constant visits and longing weren’t healthy.

It had taken the Orpheum and Caleb’s near victory for him to get him to that point.

As much as Luke was improving and healing from his death, he was still seventeen. He was still a kid that longed to have the support and love of his family, and he got his hopes up that maybe Ray really would adopt him and his band brothers into the Molina family. It was a hope that had his heart feeling light in his ribcage.

His parents would always be his parents, and he’d always love them more than anything even despite their fights, but maybe adding members to his family would be alright. He’d already added Julie to his found family. Adding Ray and Carlos couldn’t possibly be too hard.


	6. Important Note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julie has to leave the studio for a while and meets a new, very important friend. She also tells the boys to go to family dinner like the stray-adopter she is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything before this chapter has been fixed in terms of plot. The chapters are longer and more detailed, so if you read those chapters before 1/22/2021, I recommend rereading them now. Nothing is too different, but everything makes a lot more sense now. 
> 
> This chapter and everything coming up hasn't been edited at all. It's just written and posted, and eventually, I'll go back and edit it. For now, enjoy this important but kind of filler/transitional chapter that I wasn't quite sure how to write.

Her fingers had passed straight through Alex. The thought had static taking over every thought, her throat and chest suddenly constricting. The air she didn’t need wasn’t coming to her. What her boys said was white noise, their easy smiles making her skin crawl and freeze up. She barely registered the pleading, slight shake of the head Willie gave her before she’s disappearing from the studio. There’s only one, crystal clear thought that keeps repeating itself.

 _I need out_.

There wasn’t a place Julie was picturing when she left, but it didn’t surprise her where her newfound ghost powers took her. Instead of the studio’s walls, she’s met with the jagged rock of her favorite cove. She reached out to it, gently letting her fingers slip along the stone, thankful that she was able to connect with it. A sense of comfort flooded her veins, and she sighed, letting her eyes slip closed.

Her mother had found this place along the shoreline years ago. She’d come out here frequently, leading Julie and Carlos behind her. Her dad often followed with the basket of food, and they’d picnic out on the warm sand, shielded by the rock around them.

After her mom passed away, she’d spent more and more of her time carving herself a seat in the sand, her eyes focused on the horizon. She’d have to be dragged in sometime after her toes had wrinkled and chilled from the water lapping at them, long after the sea spray had coated her skin in a light layer of salt.

As she moved to sit in the sand, she noticed with a hollow sort of thrill that she’d made an indent in it, even if she couldn’t actually feel it beneath her. _At least I seem to be able to interact with things,_ she mused to herself, letting her eyes take in the horizon.

The panic was starting to subside, leaving her skin cold and buzzing. It was steadily being replaced by sheer sadness. Loneliness crept up into her ribcage, latching on as tears started to pool in her eyes. Her boys couldn’t see her. They couldn’t touch her or hear her, either. For all intents and purposes, she was gone, and that thought was a brick to her gut.

“You look really familiar.” A female voice roused Julie from her thoughts. Her head whirled to the source of the sound.

The girl was lithe with long hair colored in nutty browns. Her curls hung down her tall frame, bouncing softly as she made her way down to where Julie was on the shore. The ghost was offered a smile, and then the girl’s jumping from the last rock and making her way over to sit next to her.

Julie frowned at her, looking down at her feet where the water was going right through her. The same thing happened with the girl, the water passing along unhindered. “You can see me?”

“Yep.” She tilts her head. “Why shouldn’t I be able to see you? It’s not like you’re someone living.”

“I was. I _should_ be.” The singer set her jaw, swallowing thickly. The rush of anger that rose up in her quickly got mashed back down. “Sorry. You don’t deserve that.”

The girl waved a hand, appearing unaffected by the outburst. “Not a problem. So you died kind of unexpectedly, then?” Her blue eyes softened when they sought out Julie’s.

She looked so genuine and sweet that Julie couldn’t keep the tears held back any longer. They slipped hot and heavy down her cheeks. “I’m not really dead,” she murmured around the soft hiccups of her cries. “I got wrapped up with this ghost named Caleb and-“

Horrified understanding look over the girl’s face. “You’re Julie,” she interrupted. At Julie’s look, she made a wounded noise and drew her into a hug. “I’m so sorry.”

It felt so nice to be hugged. Being a ghost, she couldn’t really feel much of anything, but she could feel the warmth and smell the bright scent of the girl’s perfume. It was probably what she’d been wearing when she passed away. It made Julie sink into her, latching onto her shirt and burrowing against her.

The girl hugged her soothingly, rocking her until she was ready to pull back. Sheepish, Julie backed from the touch, scrubbing at her eyes. “Sorry. You don’t even know me, and I don’t even know your name.”

“It’s Charlotte. People call me Lottie.” She frowned worriedly. “I’m really sorry this happened to you.” Her hand found Julie’s, and without a thought, Julie twined their fingers together for comfort.

“The whole thing’s going through the grapevine, is it?” Her attempt at a joking tone fell flat when her voice cracked.

Lottie hesitated, her gaze slipping from Julie’s. “Not exactly. I’m actually in the same boat as you. Figuratively speaking, of course.”

The same boat? Julie’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What do you…” She let her words fall off as she thought about it, and a gasp forcefully left her when it hit her.

Caleb had said it took practice to be able to do this to her. If he’d put so much time and effort into this, he’d had to have had at least one successful attempt before coming to her, and that meant that Lottie had been one of those attempts.

“Julie, Julie, no, I’m okay,” Lottie blurted, panicked at Julie bursting back into tears. She moved to take Julie’s other hand, too, squeezing her fingers tightly. “It’s not like you did this to me. It’s not like I really had a lot going for me in life, either.”

She shook her head, clinging to Lottie like a lifeline. “He wanted to get at me, and he _used_ you. Tossed you aside after. That’s my fault.” Her lip wobbled violently. “Are you dead, then?”

“I was the first successful attempt. My body’s in his club.” She shifted, moving Julie to lean into her side. “Guess we’re two peas in a pod now, aren’t we?”

When Julie just made a soft sound, Lottie kept talking. She was grateful that the other ghost seemed perceptive enough to note that she had no idea what to say or how to feel. “I’m actually a really big fan of yours. I mean, I never got to see you perform in person or anything, but I stumbled across lyric videos for your songs. You’re really talented.” There was a small bit of silence, and when she spoke again, her voice was softer. “I guess now I know those boys of yours are ghosts, too. How are they taking all of this?”

Julie curled in towards Lottie tighter. “They can’t see me,” she murmured, feeling Lottie tense. Her eyes burned, her jaw aching.

“That’s awful. I’m so, so sorry.” She rested her head against Julie’s. “If there’s anything I can do to help, please come to me. I spend a lot of my time in this cove now.”

“I will.” She swallowed thickly. “I’m really scared to go back. Can we just sit here for a while?”

Julie wasn’t able to see Lottie’s expression, but from the tone of her voice, she thought she was smiling. “Of course. I think we both could use the company.”

Julie learned a lot about Lottie while they sat there. They didn’t need to eat or anything, so they found themselves talking until the sun had dipped below the horizon, still curled in that same position.

Lottie was the picture of Italian model on the outside. The girl was all legs and smooth skin, and at the first impression of her once she’d calmed down, she’d been a bit intimated. Her interior, though, was soft and honestly a bit nerdy. They’d bonded over their Bridgerton obsession, their love of anime, and the emo bands they couldn’t let go of.

The longer they sat there, the more Lottie reminded her of Reggie. Both of them had the same drive to comfort others. She was just as bubbly as he was and sensed her emotional state in the same way. Lottie was so different and yet so familiar.

Eventually, she hummed and shifted away. Stars had started to dot the sky now, the last of the sunset a beacon out on the horizon. “I should get going. Do you have somewhere to stay?”

Lottie offered her an easy smile. “I do, yeah. I’ll be around if you need me or want some company.” She gave a wave, and Julie vanished from the cove.

She reappeared in the studio. Willie was still there, though he looked much more haggard than when she’d left. Her boys were there, too, all three of them puffy-eyed and leaning into each other for comfort. Her heart panged for them.

“Willie?” she murmured hesitantly. “Are they okay? Do they know?”

At her soft voice, the skater jerked his head up. He met her eyes, relief shining brightly in his own. “Julie,” he breathed. “Yeah, they know. They’re-“

“Wait, Julie?” Raw and broken-sounding, Luke piped up from the couch. He sat up, gently pushing Reggie and Alex toward each other as he stood shakily. “Jules, you’re here?” He looked around frantically, his eyes desperately searching for her.

She stepped towards him, knowing she wouldn’t be able to touch him but reaching for him anyway. Her gut churned as her fingers drifted through his cheek. “Yeah, I’m here.”

“She’s right in front of you,” Willie supplied sympathetically. “She tried touching your cheek.”

Pain contorted on Luke’s face, and he reached up, gently brushing his fingers over his cheekbone.

Reggie pushed himself up from the couch, nearly tripping to get to where Luke was. “Why can’t we see you?” he asked hoarsely. His cheeks were blotched, eyes dimmed. “Why can’t we feel you? You’re a ghost, too.” He hesitated on “ghost.”

She glanced Willie’s way. He sighed and stood, crossing to Julie’s side. “We don’t know. We just know she’s like this because of Caleb.”

“He really did stoop to using Julie against us,” Alex bit from the couch. Their eyes all focused on him and his set jaw. “There’s got to be something we can do. We can’t just let Caleb strip her from us.”

“Alex, I’ve never seen any magic like this before.” The look he gave the drummer was absolutely sorrowful and lost. “I don’t even have a starting place.”

He shook his head, getting up and running a hand through his hair. “Then we’ll just make a starting place and go from it. We need her.”

“She’s everything to us.” Reggie wasn’t quite meeting her eyes, just a little to the side, but the love she could see had her melting. “You’re everything to us, Jules.”

Julie trained her attention on Luke who was still silent. He was hugging himself, his puffy eyes glazed with a fresh round of tears. She remembered how he’d looked the night of the Orpheum and the fear she’d had of losing of them. He was going through the same thing, and she knew just how badly his heart was aching.

Biting her lip, she crossed to the couch, focusing as hard as she could on her hands. She could feel Willie’s eyes on her the whole time she steeled herself up. Letting go of a breath, she reached for the blanket, pleased when she grabbed it.

Julie bundled it up in her arms and took it back to where the boys were standing. Luke was staring at the blanket, his lips split and expression shattered. She could have sworn their eyes locked for the briefest of moments when she wrapped the blanket around his shoulders.

He hugged the fabric close, lip wobbling. “Miss you, Molina.”

She smiled adoringly, though the quirk of her lips was sorrowful. “Miss you more, Patterson.”

On cue, Reggie cleared his throat. “Luke met your dad today. We’re looking out for him until we can get you back to normal, Jules.” He fiddled with his fingers, looking down. “He invited us to family dinner. What do you want us to do?”

“We don’t want to go if it makes you feel uncomfortable for any reason,” Alex added.

Julie snorted. “Willie, tell my boys that they can definitely go enjoy dinner with my dad. He and Carlos both need the company, and besides, they’re family, too.”

At her side, Willie softened. “Right.”

He relayed what she said, not surprised when Reggie cooed. “We’re honored to be family.”

“I think you should join family dinner, too,” she told Willie earnestly.

He blinked, visibly taken aback. “Are you sure? You don’t think your dad will be upset adding a fourth ghost into the mix?”

She shrugged. “My dad has the same knack for adopting strays as me, even if he can’t see you.”

“I’d love to, Ju-Ju.” A bright grin slid onto his lips.

Her band echoed the nickname. Reggie, testing it out; Alex and Luke, both with a note of jealousy. Julie wasn’t sure what the jealousy was for, but it made her snort nonetheless.

Willie beamed proudly, tossing an arm around Julie’s shoulders to lean on her. “I have adopted Julie as my own. We’re bros now.”

Her drummer and her guitarist both relaxed from their tensed postures, understanding flickering across their faces. “Okay,” Alex murmured, running a hand through his hair. “Not being able to see Julie makes this weird. Ray’s probably expecting us. Jules, are you coming?”

She shook her head, giving Willie an apprehensive look as she bit her lip. “I think you guys need to break the news to him. Assure him I’m here. I need a little more time, so… I’ll be out here practicing.”

“If you feel differently at any time, feel free to pop in. I’ll toss it down the grapevine.” He kissed Julie’s temple, gesturing to the doors. “Julie’s staying here to practice her ghost powers. We’re going to go console her dad.”

As the band nodded and teleported out, Willie hesitated to shoot Julie one last look. “You’re sure?” he confirmed.

“I’m sure.” She smiled, and for once, it felt genuine. “Go.”


End file.
